The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-06-29
THE PANAMA CANAL.
A Gigantic Undertaking Doomed
to Early Abandonment.
The Work Done So Far, the Money
Spent, and Human Lives Lost.

M. Boulange, a French engineer who re-
Gently came from Panama to recuperate his
health, talked about de Lessep's great ca
nal scheme the other evening before the
American Society of Civil Engineers in
New York. He is a compact, wiry little
man, with close-cropped black hair and
complexion tanned to a copper color, and
wears gold spectacles. What looked like
plaster cast, but which in reality was
unique model of the Isthmus with the line
Of the canal marked in blue-the gift of
de Lesseps to the society-was con-
vpicuous on an easel and used by the guest of
the evening for illustration. M. Boulange'
has been three years attached to the canal en-
gineers' corps from France, and therefore
knew what he was talking about.
1.-THE construction of the canal, >" he said,
'has been very difficult work, and the COM
pletion will be much more difficult. have
grave doubts that it can be finished, and, if it
has already been expended. The New YORK
steam drill is being used by some OF
the contractors, but with such little
success at certain points that only
about five blast holes are made hour. The
climate is very discouraging, and none of the
engineers who had plans for necessary dams
could remain long enough on the ground to
finish them. I was obliged to return to
France myself, and when I got home the
sthmus fever Frustrated me for three months
consecutively.
"Even at this late day there is not a first
class map or profile of the canal Neither are
there any official data of practical. value to
the surviving engineers"
For those and other reasons NJ. Boulange
thought the gigantic undertaking would
eventually be abandoned. Speaking OF what
had been done and the cost he said; Not
been done, or about 10000, 900 cubic
metres out of l40,00O,OCO cubic metres
have been excavated 1t has cost
BOO, 900, ,0O0f, equal to about 500, ,000,-
OOO. Nothing has been done in Colon harbor,
but about sixteen miles Of the canal route in
land from the harbor has been opened up.
It is true, as reported, that dredge did
not shift its position for six weeks,
having all it could do churning out
which e % is to be sis feet in depth, has been dug
out about thirty-eight feet. The original
survey made by Lieutenant Wise is Of little
value. There is very little sand in the soil,
but plenty of clay and more sold rock
A considerable portion Of the route
is through swamps and has not been sur
veyed. Owing to the peculiar formation OF
the rock in the big cut the blasting will have
to be more extensive than was at first calcu-
lated.
"Great difficulty has been experienced in
getting laborers owing to the unhealthy
climate. 1 was four months getting six
men. We have sent to Trinidad, Hong Kong
and other remote places with varied success.
We got about 500 Chinese, and they brought
their own cooks and physicians for SANITARY
reasons. Sixty per cent. OF the COM
mon laborers die each year. Eighty per cent.
of the white perish. Last year our society
sent seventy-two engineers, agents, clerks,
ETC., to Panama, and there are eleven OF US
left fit for work Forty-five died and the
remainder are as good as dead. 1t Is
fact that there is a sliding mountain
on the line of work which is, and
promises to cause, no end Of trouble. Scotch
dredges only are in use. We got 1IO coolies
to 20 to work after much time and money,
and they stand the climate and labor better
than any other class.
ave have enough funds on hand to con-
tinue the work about four months. After the
money is exhausted I think de Lesseps will be
forced to abandon the enterprise for good or
for some years at least The scarcity OF
money; impracticability OF the present route,
and unexpected obstacles are reasons s1lffi-
cient.
at rains about nine months Of the year on
the isthmus, day and night. The three dry
months are not entirely free of rain either.
The result is that there are frequent freshets
along the line, and portions of the work have
had to be rebuilt repeatedly. At one point, in
January, 1883, the water rose Il feet IN SIX
hours, and not only destroyed our railroad
bridge, but other valuable superstructures.